After a year of absence, Batman #13 marks the return of the Joker to the DC Universe, and simultaneously kicks off the start of the newest Bat-Family Crossover Event titled 'Death of The Family'.
One year ago, Batman fans were left in horror as at the end of Detective Comics #1, as an incarcerated Joker had his face delicately removed and nailed to the wall of Arkham Asylum. But while the later issues of Detective Comics followed the 'Dollmaker' the man responsible for removing the Jokers face, the actual fate of the Joker was left vague and unanswered.
In reality, Detective Comic readers knew that the Joker was alive with him staring at his face from the shadows saying "That felt... Fangasmic", the denizens of the DC Universe crafted their own rumors. Some said that the Joker was dead, murdered by Batman or the GCPD and the face was a macabre trophy. Batman knew that the Joker had gone for good, but then again, he couldn't really dwell on it as he was drawn into his next crisis with 'Night of the Owls'.
Batman #13 starts with a monologue about how Gotham was due for something sinister as nature seemed to be turning on itself with rivers reversing course and lion cubs being born with two heads. The main story begins light hearted, and almost comical as Commissioner Gordon has staked a day off to any officer to find his packet of smokes in the GCPD.
But nothing good really ever stays good in Gotham, now does it?
I won't go into the integral details of the Comic, to prevent spoilers. However, what I will say, is that the very character of the Joker has changed. (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD)
Some people would associate the Joker as the Clown Price of Crime, who at the end of the day, is a clown. He is funny, his crimes always 'leave a smile' on everyone's face. However, this is not that Joker. This Joker is evil from his core to his exterior. Since he lacks a face, he no longer has the signature smile, which causes him to visit the GCPD.
As Batman would later mention, the Joker is much more savage than he has ever been, killing mercilessly and brutally, by snapping necks. To anyone who has read Batman comics with fights with the Joker, he usually uses giant hammers, tricks and the odd sucker-punch. But here his deadliness can be compared to that of an assassin, a laughing, joke cracking one at that. And we can all agree that the only thing that is scarier than a Silent Assassin, is a noisy one. (It's much more terrifying to hear the man about to kill you than to never realize until it's already over)
The Joker has gone through another character change, and the writers of this book are making it very obvious by having the Joker revisit his old crimes, (refer to Batman - The Man Who Laughs). They've used similar instances to show that the Joker is not the Happy Clown any more, but something else, something even more terrifying, as he leaves a room not of 'happy' victims but of frowning victims.
The last few pages can only drive home the message of this book, The Joker is back, and he's not who he was. But we are still left wondering what his plan is! As Batman tries to get himself out of another deathtrap, he hears the plan, but while Batman seems to want specifics, we know exactly what the Joker wants. He wants to help Batman return to who he was, a Loner. The only way to do that, is 'The Death of The Family' Quite literally, the Death of the Entire Bat-Family is in the cards.
The Joker has always been unpredictable but the last page is sure to leave the reader even more bamboozled and dying for the next issue.
On a side note, one can only but admire the marketing strategy of DC Comics, this Crossover Comic Event is a brilliant strategy as it keeps events to not more than 3 months and while the main story is contained in the main title (in this case Batman) the smaller instances and battles, what really makes an event are in other titles, so it ensures that people will buy other titles and might possibly get people to become interested in those too. Ensuring that the demographics that read Batman might just start reading Nightwing. Oh and they'd also end up paying for that too, so fans are now buying books that they might have not bought, but are doing so, because they want to know what is happening!
That's it from me. What a comic. Can't believe I have to wait a month till the Batman #14
One year ago, Batman fans were left in horror as at the end of Detective Comics #1, as an incarcerated Joker had his face delicately removed and nailed to the wall of Arkham Asylum. But while the later issues of Detective Comics followed the 'Dollmaker' the man responsible for removing the Jokers face, the actual fate of the Joker was left vague and unanswered.
In reality, Detective Comic readers knew that the Joker was alive with him staring at his face from the shadows saying "That felt... Fangasmic", the denizens of the DC Universe crafted their own rumors. Some said that the Joker was dead, murdered by Batman or the GCPD and the face was a macabre trophy. Batman knew that the Joker had gone for good, but then again, he couldn't really dwell on it as he was drawn into his next crisis with 'Night of the Owls'.
Batman #13 starts with a monologue about how Gotham was due for something sinister as nature seemed to be turning on itself with rivers reversing course and lion cubs being born with two heads. The main story begins light hearted, and almost comical as Commissioner Gordon has staked a day off to any officer to find his packet of smokes in the GCPD.
But nothing good really ever stays good in Gotham, now does it?
I won't go into the integral details of the Comic, to prevent spoilers. However, what I will say, is that the very character of the Joker has changed. (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD)
Some people would associate the Joker as the Clown Price of Crime, who at the end of the day, is a clown. He is funny, his crimes always 'leave a smile' on everyone's face. However, this is not that Joker. This Joker is evil from his core to his exterior. Since he lacks a face, he no longer has the signature smile, which causes him to visit the GCPD.
As Batman would later mention, the Joker is much more savage than he has ever been, killing mercilessly and brutally, by snapping necks. To anyone who has read Batman comics with fights with the Joker, he usually uses giant hammers, tricks and the odd sucker-punch. But here his deadliness can be compared to that of an assassin, a laughing, joke cracking one at that. And we can all agree that the only thing that is scarier than a Silent Assassin, is a noisy one. (It's much more terrifying to hear the man about to kill you than to never realize until it's already over)
The Joker has gone through another character change, and the writers of this book are making it very obvious by having the Joker revisit his old crimes, (refer to Batman - The Man Who Laughs). They've used similar instances to show that the Joker is not the Happy Clown any more, but something else, something even more terrifying, as he leaves a room not of 'happy' victims but of frowning victims.
The last few pages can only drive home the message of this book, The Joker is back, and he's not who he was. But we are still left wondering what his plan is! As Batman tries to get himself out of another deathtrap, he hears the plan, but while Batman seems to want specifics, we know exactly what the Joker wants. He wants to help Batman return to who he was, a Loner. The only way to do that, is 'The Death of The Family' Quite literally, the Death of the Entire Bat-Family is in the cards.
The Joker has always been unpredictable but the last page is sure to leave the reader even more bamboozled and dying for the next issue.
On a side note, one can only but admire the marketing strategy of DC Comics, this Crossover Comic Event is a brilliant strategy as it keeps events to not more than 3 months and while the main story is contained in the main title (in this case Batman) the smaller instances and battles, what really makes an event are in other titles, so it ensures that people will buy other titles and might possibly get people to become interested in those too. Ensuring that the demographics that read Batman might just start reading Nightwing. Oh and they'd also end up paying for that too, so fans are now buying books that they might have not bought, but are doing so, because they want to know what is happening!
That's it from me. What a comic. Can't believe I have to wait a month till the Batman #14
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